Mahindra First Choice Services inaugurates first franchise workshop in Kottayam

15th July, 2015, Kochi: Mahindra First Choice Services (MFCS), India’s leading chain of multi-brand car service workshops, has added another feather to its cap with the inauguration of its first Franchisee Owned Franchisee Operated (FOFO) workshop in Kottayam, Kerala. Its pan India workshop network now stands at 66.

YVS Vijay Kumar, CEO, Mahindra First Choice Services inaugurated the workshop which is located at NP/XI/216E, Nattakom P.O, Kottayam.

Our business model for franchisees has received a strong response in the Kerala region. With its strong focus on customer service and knowledge of the local market, our new franchise workshop at Kottayam will help us further build on our existing presence in the state, said YVS Vijay Kumar, CEO, Mahindra First Choice Services.

We are proud to be associated with Mahindra First Choice Services, India’s leading chain in multi-brand car servicing and look forward to a strong and enduring partnership with the company. The brand is associated with trust and credibility in the country. Our trained technicians coupled with MFCS’s innovative car service products will provide great value when it comes to the complete car care needs of each and every car owner, said Shibu George, Geo Motors, Kottayam.

We see great potential for the multi-brand car servicing business in this market. Nationally, we intend to close the next fiscal with 200+ FOFO workshops. This will help us enhance the scale and depth of our operations and enable us to reach a greater number of potential customers across the country, continued Mr. Kumar.

MFCS will operate through its hub based in Kochi where it will be scaling up operations through multiple workshops. The company’s franchise workshops will capitalize on the MFCS brand and deploy a robust business model for sustained higher financial returns.

MFCS’ aim is to establish 15 multi-brand car workshops in the state by March’16.

At present, the Kerala market is underserved and customers have limited options for their car maintenance requirements.With itsskilled technicians, genuine spare parts, state-of-the-art equipment and robust processes, MFCS will fill the lacuna in this market, he added

Mahindra First Choice Services which was established in 2008, pioneered the concept of multi-brand car service workshops and has since serviced 290,000 cars. At present, it has 66 workshops, including 23 company-owned facilities. The company’s goal is to have 500 workshops by 2018 and it is investing more than Rs. 250 crore over five years to create infrastructure and expand its network to achieve this goal. In order to supply parts to the workshops, the company is also planning to increase its all-India cluster warehouse network from the present 15 to 40.

At MFCS, customers can save between 10 and 20 per cent on car servicing costs as compared to authorized service centers of several car brands. The company is able to provide car service facilities at competitive rates as it sources the parts in bulk from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

For a car service provider, a strong spares supply chain and technical training are the two most essential elements. With 66 existing workshops and over 290,000 cars serviced, MFCS believes that it has a very strong proposition for the franchisee. The company offers a simplified business model in multi-brand car servicing with a robust supply chain for spare parts through its cluster warehouse. Each cluster warehouse supplies parts as per the daily requirements of FOFOs and COCOs, thus reducing the need to maintain huge inventories at workshops.

Each MFCS workshop uses quality spares procured at competitive rates and follows stringent quality measures including a mandatory 60 point First Choice First Check on every car. MFCS also provides hassle-free cashless insurance facility with leading insurance companies and a convenient free booking service for customers. Car owners can book a service either by calling the workshop or the toll free number 1800-22-4008 or through the MFCS website, www.mahindrafirstchoiceservices.com. The company has a strong digital presence through its website and offers various innovative features like the recently launched, first-of-its-kind online car dent estimator tool.

Established in 2008, the company aims to offer a world class car servicing experience in India at value for money prices. With a combination of COCO & FOFO workshops, MFCS plans to become one of the top three car service providers in the country by 2018.

MFCS is a recipient of the ISO 9001:2004, 9001:2008 and OHSMS 18001:2007 certification by TUV Nord for its world class quality processes, environmentally friendly business practices and the attention it pays to the health and safety of its employees.

About Mahindra

The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.

In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times Boldness in Business’ Award in the Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.

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